Thursday, 31 May 2007, 17:34 GMT

Kvasiradikal grundkurs

Baserat på inlägg och kommentarer på Kristina Lindquists blogg ger jag här veckans grundkurs i kvasiradikalism:

1. Man ska aldrig lyssna på meningsmotståndare. Arrogans är en dygd.
2. Konflikt är bättre än samförstånd. Att vara arg, våldsam och oresonligt har intrinsikalt värde.
3. Fysiska egenskaper avgör människovärdet. Kön och hudfärg är det enda man behöver veta för att avgöra någons kvaliteter.

Thursday, 31 May 2007, 01:32 GMT

Moscow Mayor Invited to Stockholm Pride

I just read about a great initiative in the aftermath of the tragic events in Moscow recently. From The Local:

A group of Swedish politicians have invited Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov to attend Stockholm's gay pride festival on August 4th following violence at the recent parade in Moscow, initiators said Wednesday.

"We have invited the mayor to visit our festival and to see how we work with HBT (homo-, bi- and transsexual) issues here. It is important to deal with homophobia," Stockholm city council Green Party leader Yvonne Ruwaida told AFP.

It's highly unlikely that Yuri Luzhkov accepts the invitation, but sometimes a kind gesture can make a difference too.

Wednesday, 30 May 2007, 00:06 GMT

Läsarkommentar

En läsare med erfarenheter från mediacensuren i Vitryssland har skrivit till mig med anledning av gårdagens inlägg om Venezuela:

Jag upptäckte för länge sedan att Chavez steg i maktkoncentration och avskaffande av demokratin är karbonkopior av det som Lukasjenko (en av hans bästa vänner) gjorde i Vitryssland i andra halvan på 90-talet. Själv bodde jag i Vitryssland 1995 när Lukasjenko förbjöd några oberoende tidningar att distribueras via det statliga distributionsnätet BelSojuzPechat. Det fanns bara ett problem: det fanns inga alternativa distributionskanaler. Då framställdes det precis på samma sätt som Chavez gör nu: BelSojuzPechat bröt kontraktet, med påstods inte hade någonting med yttrandefriheten att göra och framställdes som ett rent affärsmässigt beslut. Då började jag själv att arbeta för två oppositionella tidningar dom distributionsansvarig och försökte distribuera tidningar via gatuförsäljare och icke-statliga livsmedelsaffärer. Många av dem kände sympati med tidningarna men var rädda för statliga repressalier. Det statliga tryckeriet där tidningarna trycktes makulerade också kontraktet. Tidningarna har blivit tvungna att trycka i Litauen och leverera med en dags försening.

Nu gör Chavez ungefär samma sak med RCTV. Jag tror att den Vitryska erfarenheten studera noggrant i Caracas och vi ska få se en hel del av Lukasjistiskt trixande framöver.

Samtidigt noterar jag att inte bara företrädare för extremvänstern utan också flera socialdemokrater valt att öppet stödja diktaturen i Venezuela. Det är uppenbart att dagens vänster inte lärt sig ett dugg av de misstag som begicks under 1900-talet. Samma diktaturkramande nu som då.

Wednesday, 30 May 2007, 00:05 GMT

Al-Qaeda on Freedom Tower

The Onion, a parody newspaper, reports that al-Qaeda is fed up with Ground Zero construction delays:

If the clip isn't showing or working properly, you should be able to find it here.

Tuesday, 29 May 2007, 00:04 GMT

Venezuela's Lying Regime

Misinformation from websites financed by the Venezuelan dictatorship is now picked up by the Socialist Left in Europe. In the British online magazine 21st Century Socialism I found claims copied directly from autocrat Chávez's press releases. I quote the article:

Is the Venezuelan government shutting down the RCTV Station?

Contrary to some reports, the RCTV station is not being closed down. Rather, the Venezuelan government has chosen not to renew RCTV's licence to broadcast via Venezuela's Channel Two when this expires on 27 May. RCTV will continue to be able to operate freely in Venezuela on the public airwaves on cable and on satellite, as will the many TV and radio stations that RCTV owner Empresas 1BC runs across Venezuela.

This is complete distortion. It is true that Radio Caracas Television can continue to operate, but what would be the point when they have no possibility to get an audience. The Chávez regime has made it impossible for independent television stations to gain access to anyone but the tiny few Venezuelans who can afford a satellite dish. Chávez's press release tries to hide the fact that the measure taken against RCTV is in effect a shutdown of every possibility for critics to get their message across. The only thing ordinary Venezuelans will see on television is Chávez's take on things.

Why has the government decided not to renew RCTV's licence?

As with other democracies, Venezuelan law allows the government the right to grant broadcast licences, renew them or let them expire. The government has made the decision not to renew because of RCTV's violation of numerous laws—most notably the active support it gave to a military coup in April 2002 to overthrow the democratically-elected Chávez government.

In addition to its violation of laws that prohibit the incitement of political violence, RCTV has not co-operated with tax laws and has failed to pay fines issued by the Telecommunications Commission.

It's important to keep in mind that even though Chávez was elected president, he is now a dictator. After massive fraud, the opposition parties boycotted the general election. This created a situation where Chávez supporters controlled the entire parliament. Not a single seat was held by a critic. But Chávez did not settle for this. He wanted more. So, in January 2007 the parliament approved an enabling act granting Chávez the power to rule by decree for eighteen months. Like Hitler, the popularly elected Chávez became a dictator.

Chávez supporters want us to think of Venezuela as a democratic country. It is not. There are absolutely no similarities between what Chávez is doing to RCTV and what democratic governments in Europe and America are doing in respect to independent media.

In Chávez's press release, the dictatorship refers to RCTV's failure to pay taxes and fines. These are taxes and fines made to force RCTV out of business. No other television station had to pay them.

(Seen in picture are the communist rulers Schafik Handal, Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro, and Evo Morales.)

Monday, 28 May 2007, 22:25 GMT

Walking with Morons

There's just no end to homophobic stupidity. From Reuters:

Poland's conservative government took its drive to curb what it sees as homosexual propaganda to the small screen on Monday, taking aim at Tinky Winky and the other Teletubbies.

Ewa Sowinska, government-appointed children rights watchdog, told a local magazine published on Monday she was concerned the popular BBC children's show promoted homosexuality.

[…]

"At first I thought the purse would be a burden for this Teletubby … Later I learned that this may have a homosexual undertone."

(Via Henrik Alexandersson and Miedzy Nami. Photo by Rex Wockner.)

Monday, 28 May 2007, 13:02 GMT

Rolig reklam

Det var längesedan jag skrattade så gott som när jag idag såg reklamfilmen för tokpredikanten Maria Hallmans bok Homosexualitet är synd. Det går verkligen inte att göra parodi på frikyrklig homofobi.

PS! Någon som vet om man kan nominera en reklamkampanj till juryn för Guldägget?

(Via Tor Billgren.)

Monday, 28 May 2007, 09:38 GMT

Venezuelan Silence

Venezuela's only independent television station has been silenced. The human-rights campaigners and free-speech activists lost the battle. Socialist dictator Hugo Chávez and his supporters won. My friend in Venezuela tells me that Radio Caracas's signals have been replaced by some sort of non-stop "Best of Chávez" programme.

The New York Times reports that the Socialist Left celebrated the end of free speech last night while at the same time Chávez's police dispersed a pro-democracy rally by firing tear gas. This is socialism and what leftists in Europe and America refer to as "progressive politics". I call it totalitarianism.

Monday, 28 May 2007, 00:12 GMT

Brittle Rabbi

It doesn't take much to offend some people, but Berl Lazar, Russia's chief rabbi, must be particularly fragile:

"I would like to assure you, that the parade of homosexuals it is not less offensive to the feelings of believers than any caricatures in newspapers."

The religious fundamentalists will not settle for less than the end of democracy. They will not be pleased until every single human right is abolished in favour of their faiths.

Sunday, 27 May 2007, 20:50 GMT

No Free Speech in Venezuela

Radio Caracas Television, Venezuela's only independent national television station, will be forced to close down tonight at midnight since socialist dictator Hugo Chávez has refused to renew its broadcast licence. Associated Press reports that Chávez today said that he intend to democratize the airwaves by turning Radio Caracas's signal over to a public service channel. "That television station became a threat to the country so I decided not to renew the licence because it's my responsibility," Chávez said.

(Seen in picture is Chávez with fellow dictator and best friend Fidel Castro.)

Sunday, 27 May 2007, 20:30 GMT

No Free Speech in Russia

Gays and lesbians are deprived of basic human rights in many places around the world. Russia is of these places. Today, peaceful people who tried to present a petition denouncing a decision to bar a gay pride parade in Moscow were assaulted by a hostile crowd of Christians and fascists. When the police arrived, they did nothing to stop the aggressors. Instead, they arrested the peaceful demonstrators. This is exactly what the Moscow police did a year ago. From 365gay.com:

Among those detained were gay rights leader Nikolai Alexeyev and a number of foreign supporters including British gay advocate Peter Tatchell and two reportedly two European lawmakers.

They and about 100 other people gathered in a park across from the office of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov to collect signatures for the petition which already had been signed by about 40 members of the European Parliament.

Waiting for them were members of extreme right nationalist groups, Russian Orthodox churchgoers, and young militants.

The crowd pelted the gay group with eggs and started a number of skirmishes until police moved in arresting the gay leaders.

Once again the politicized Christians have proved to be no better than their Islamist counterparts.

One thing that always makes me furious about these things is the silence from liberals and libertarians. When Åke Green was sentenced to a month in prison after a homophobic speech, liberal-minded human-rights activists from around the world protested against the Swedish law that prohibited anti-gay bible preaching. And rightfully so, free speech is a fundamental human right. (I wrote about it here.) But just because free speech is a fundamental right, it seems odd to me that so few protest when gays are silenced. To me is seems as if many liberals and libertarians are too convenient with the conservative misuse of arguments against political correctness. The proper objection to political correctness has to do with protection of universal free speech. Conservatives tend to refer to something altogether different. To them, the opposition to political correctness has to do with an ambition to science anyone proposing radical change to society.

Sunday, 27 May 2007, 10:01 GMT

Mother's Day

Today it's Mother's Day in Sweden. Here's what Barats and Bereta did to honour their mother on Mother's Day:

If the YouTube-clip isn't showing or working properly, you should be able to find it here.

Saturday, 26 May 2007, 14:01 GMT

Childhood Stress and Political Values

Zoology professor Randy Thornhill is best known for his scientific take on human beauty—that what we value above all in a partner is bodily symmetry—and his theory of rape as a normal part of the evolutionary inheritance of men. Now he is back. In the May issue of the journal of Evolution and Human Behavior, Dr Thornhill with colleague Corey L. Fincher publish new research indicating that childhood stress affects political values. I quote the abstract:

Conservatives and liberals have markedly different ideologies. Conservatives, in comparison to liberals, are risk averse and prefer social inequality, traditionally established and familiar in-group values, and familial allegiance. Liberals are risk prone, are open to new views and ways, value equality and out-group relations, and exhibit high independence and self-reliance. We hypothesize that this variation was functional and socially strategic in human evolutionary history. Conservatives, we propose, are familial and in-group specialists, while liberals are out-group specialists. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the different values are caused proximately by attachment style and associated childhood stresses. Accordingly, low avoidant and high secure attachment and associated low childhood stresses ontogenetically generate conservatives, whereas high avoidant and low secure attachment and associated high childhood stresses give rise to liberals. Results from our study of 123 young adults support the hypotheses. We focus on the psychometric scale of conservatism–liberalism but also examine participants' scores on two additional political scales: social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism. We also analyze participants' scores on time preference scales and life expectancy to test whether political values are related to future-versus-present life history tradeoffs or participants' perceptions of the past. We found no support for conservatism–liberalism's relationship to a future-versus-present tradeoff. Conservatism–liberalism, however, is related to how one understands the past in ways that support the notion that the degree of childhood stress affects political values.

If Thornhill and Fincher's findings are correct, I predict an intense discussion among philosophers, economists, and social scientists. Free will and the power of argumentation is fundamental to our political culture, and if it were to be proven that people hold political beliefs based not in intellectual reflection but childhood stress, then much of what we take for granted must be reconsidered. However, I do not think childhood stress can explain political preferences.

Friday, 25 May 2007, 20:33 GMT

Reflections on Academic Future

Seen in the picture is the main building at Lund University. The department of philosophy (located in the building next to the one in picture) has been my home away from home the past two years. I have spent many hours listening to lectures here, and even more hours reading in the department library. If everything goes according to my plans, I will receive my BA in practical philosophy in about a year from now. Not surprisingly, I intend to write my final dissertation on libertarianism and social theory.

The two forthcoming semesters, I will spend most of my time at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies. One of my areas of specialization is the philosophy of religion, a discipline no longer thoroughly studied at the department of philosophy. I know some of my friends think it's a bit odd to study religion, but unlike many other students of philosophy, I cannot get around the issue of God and divinity.

Since I decided to leave my distinguished career as a starving freelance writer and a bored-to-death employee in customer services, my focus has been a master's degree in philosophy. The past years, after my return to Sweden from the Netherlands in 2003, I have divided my time between academia and party politics. Lately I have begun to question what I'm doing. The work as district councillor takes more time than I imagined when I accepted the position, and the salary for the many hours of work is minuscule. I now realize why so many local politicians are tedious money spenders; the easiest way of pleasing the bureaucrats and the electorate is to simply vote yes on every proposal. I might appear snobbish and arrogant, but the truth is that the only people suited for this kind of political work are either unemployed or pensioners.

I now consider doing my MA abroad. I have sent for prospectuses for universities in England, Scotland, and Israel. Today I received information from the University College London, and it's very tempting. The UCL offers accommodation for postgraduate philosophy students in Russell Square, and the British government has a scholarship available for EU citizens that would cover the tuition fee. It's almost too good to be true. The only problem being my partner, who would have to stay put in Sweden or get a job in London.

I'm still waiting for prospectuses for a handful of other universities, and I don't have to hand in applications for the academic session beginning in September 2008 until February next year, so there are still time to think about what to do in the years ahead.

Note to self: Buy a real camera. This blog demands better pictures.

Thursday, 24 May 2007, 15:56 GMT

Now I'm Islamophobic Again

While the Socialist Left is doing its best at defending every move of Iran's fascist regime, people are being tortured simply for loving each other. Yes, yes—I know what the politically correct leftists will say: they will say that we who are objecting to this kind of Islamist torture are racists and islamophobes filled with hatred of Muslims. But the leftist loonies are wrong. To stay silent when Muslims are being tortured and deprived of their most fundamental rights by people perverting Islam would be racist and islamophobic.

Thursday, 24 May 2007, 12:55 GMT

Good News from Britain

The British gay-rights organization Stonewall has conducted a survey to find out what the public think of gay people and policies. Among other things, the survey, which is published today, reveals that 68% support the 2004 law that made it possible for same-sex couples to form civil unions, and that only 7% would not like their boss being gay—a drop from 18% in 2003. These figures actually make the Brits more tolerant than the Swedes. A survey from last year revealed that 11% felt uncomfortable with a gay boss. Most interesting, however, is that 71% say that they would feel comfortable with a gay priest in their own parish.

Download the Stonewall survey (pdf).

Wednesday, 23 May 2007, 16:43 GMT

Autonomifobi

Jag lärde mig ett nytt användbart ord idag: autonomifobi. Det var i en text av den feministiska filosofen Marilyn Friedman som ordet dök upp. Friedman använder det för att beskriva varför så många kvinnor motsätter sig liberala idéer om social atomism och individuell frihet. Skälet är, enligt Friedman, att kvinnor i beroendeställning skräms av tanken på att deras män ska lämna dem i ambitionen att förverkliga sig själva. Autonomifobi handlar alltså om rädslan för andras frihet eftersom man inte själva kan se en möjlighet att klara sig på egen hand.

Jag tror Friedman har rätt. Autonomifobin finns hos många som antingen fått lära sig att de är beroende av andra eller som de facto är det. Oavsett det är en parter, förälder eller välfärdsstaten så måste en människa i beroendeställning våga göra sig fri från rädslan för autonomi. Inget skapar mer trygghet än vetskapen att man inte är beroende av andras välvilja.

Jag behöver nog inte tillägga att Friedman är föraktad av de marxistiska statsfeministerna som styr svensk jämlikhetsdebatt.

Wednesday, 23 May 2007, 11:50 GMT

Free Movement for the Rich Only

In an article, mockingly entitled "EU court upholds workers' rights", the EU Observer writes:

The European Court of Justice twice indicated on Wednesday (23 May) that it thinks there are limits to applying the principles of the internal market in the European Union.

In a highly anticipated opinion concerning the Swedish system of collective bargaining which sees industry and trade unions fix wages each year, the advocate general suggested trade unions have the right to take industrial action to compel companies from other member states to pay their workers the same wages as domestic workers receive under the collective agreements.

According to the court's top advisor, the bloc's internal market rules on the freedom to provide services do not prevent "trade unions from attempting, by mean of collective action, to compel a service provider of another member state to subscribe to a rate of pay."

What this means in real life is that people with no expert knowledge or academic specialization are excluded from the liberty of free movement within the European Union. The working-class people in member states with poor salaries have no chance to compete with their richer "comrades" in member state with higher salaries. The Socialist Left that controls the labour unions of Western Europe has once again proved that their main concern is the welfare of the already better off. Shame on the anti-proletarian labour unionist! Shame on the advocate general! Shame on the European Court of Justice if it allows this attack on Europe's poorest citizens to become a binding precedent!

Tuesday, 22 May 2007, 07:39 GMT

Don't Give In to Iran

Iran's fascist regime is working ever more closely with terrorist organizations in Iraq in order to fight back liberty and democracy. The Guardian writes:

Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.

[…]

[A senior US official in Baghdad] said US commanders were bracing for a nationwide, Iranian-orchestrated summer offensive, linking al-Qaida and Sunni insurgents to Tehran's Shia militia allies, that Iran hoped would trigger a political mutiny in Washington and a US retreat. "We expect that al-Qaida and Iran will both attempt to increase the propaganda and increase the violence prior to Petraeus's report in September [when the US commander General David Petraeus will report to Congress on President George Bush's controversial, six-month security "surge" of 30,000 troop reinforcements]," the official said.

"Certainly it [the violence] is going to pick up from their side. There is significant latent capability in Iraq, especially Iranian-sponsored capability. They can turn it up whenever they want. You can see that from the pre-positioning that's been going on and the huge stockpiles of Iranian weapons that we've turned up in the last couple of months.

To give in to fascist elements would once again "prove" to the Arab community worldwide that the democratic West is not really interested in liberty and democracy. That would be devastating. Unfortunately, Iran and the terrorists are backed by the United Nations and its many dictatorial members. Communist regimes in Latin America, Asia, and Africa will do their best to undermine the struggle for liberty and democracy. And Europe will do what it always does—nothing. I truly hope the United States can stand firm and refuse to listen to leftist groups that wish nothing more than to see American withdrawal and a surge in anti-capitalist, anti-liberty Islamism.

Tuesday, 22 May 2007, 06:38 GMT

Snygg och ödmjuk vänster

Från vänsterbloggen Bergspredikan:

Eter söndagens Kapitalet-studier tog jag och Redundans en promenad genom ett soligt och synnerligen vackert Stockholm (något jag verkligen hoppas blir en tradition i sommar). Vi köpte fika och snackade lite mediastrategi.

Det som slog oss var vår rädsla för medial uppmärksamhet, på ett rent personligt plan. Vi, dvs de delar av den utomparlamentariska/utomfackliga/basfackliga vänstern som vi tillhör, lider av ett kollektivt mindervärdeskomplex. Vi är bildade, duktiga debattörer, unga, snygga och har visioner. Ändå skruvar vi på oss av olust när vi får chans till mediautrymme i tv-soffor och intervjuer.

Så gulligt! Synd bara att dessa snygga små kommunister alltid bloggar anonymt. Att hålla all denna unga, begåvade skönhet dold för världen är så – egoistiskt. Befriande är hursomhelst att se hur den gamla tidens kommunism visar sig i skydd av anonymiteten. I mindre ljusskygga sammanhang kan man ju annars få intrycket av att dagens kommunister skakat av sig föraktet för radikalism. Skönt då att kunna konstatera att konservativa och marxister fortfarande står enade i sitt förakt för allt som andas queer. Katrine Kielos uttryckte samma idéer nyligen, dock lite mer sublimt.

Monday, 21 May 2007, 13:04 GMT

Sharia-Styled Mermaid

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was found draped in a Muslim dress and headscarf Sunday morning. Danish police removed the clothing after a telephone caller reported it.

Monday, 21 May 2007, 05:36 GMT

Flynt on Falwell

Remember Miloš Forman's film The People vs. Larry Flynt? Well, it tells the true story of a 1988 free-speech case in the United States Supreme Court known as "Hustler Magazine vs Falwell". It's an excellent film on Flynt's fight to uphold the First Amendment to the American Constitution.

Yesterday, nearly a week after the passing of Falwell, the Los Angeles Times published Flynt's somewhat moving obituary. The two never agreed on much, but Flynt still considered Falwell his friend:

I always kicked his ass about his crazy ideas and the things he said. Every time I'd call him, I'd get put right through, and he'd let me berate him about his views. When he was getting blasted for his ridiculous homophobic comments after he wrote his "Tinky Winky" article cautioning parents that the purple Teletubby character was in fact gay, I called him in Florida and yelled at him to "leave the Tinky Winkies alone."

When he referred to Ellen Degeneres in print as Ellen "Degenerate," I called him and said, "What are you doing? You don't need to poison the whole lake with your venom." I could hear him mumbling out of the side of his mouth, "These lesbians just drive me crazy." I'm sure I never changed his mind about anything, just as he never changed mine.

After reading Ann Coulter's silly piece on Falwell, I realize that unlike her, Flynt the pornographer is acting like a true Christian.

Monday, 21 May 2007, 04:44 GMT

Coulter on Falwell

After reading Ann Coulter's obituary of Jerry Falwell in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review I had to check the calendar. But no, it's not April Fool's Day. She really is this deranged:

"Falwell was a perfected Christian. He exuded Christian love for all men, hating sin while loving sinners. This is as opposed to liberals, who just love sinners."

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 21:09 GMT

Best of Falwell

One of Rex Wockner's favourite Jerry Falwell quotes reads:

"He [Tinky Winky, see picture] is purple—the gay pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle—the gay pride symbol. The character, whose voice is that of a boy, has been found carrying a red purse in many episodes and has become a favourite character among gay groups worldwide. … Role modelling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children. These subtle depictions are no doubt intentional and parents are warned to be alert to these elements of the series."

You have been warned. Keep your children away from purple cartoon characters with queer triangles on their heads and they surely will turn out straight.

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 10:28 GMT

Weekend Fun

The Onion's new T-shirt has to be the perfect gift for every sports fan.

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 07:19 GMT

Om den socialdemokratiska hegemonin

Fredrick Federley skriver klokt på Dagens Nyheters debattsida:

Den socialdemokratiska hegemonin är så stark över den svenska debatten att den också kommit att smitta Allians för Sverige. Det syns tydligt i regeringens defensiva hållning till sina egna förslag. För att vinna makten kapitulerar man inför åsikter som för bara några år sedan skulle ha ansetts vara omöjliga för borgerliga partier att företräda. Man har gett upp inför det politiska ledarskapets uppgift att leda debatten i en annan riktning och i stället bestämt sig för att följa uppgjorda mönster. I stället för att leda Sverige in i framtiden väljer man att slå in på invanda hjulspår.

Ja, precis så är det. Vad värre är att just denna underdånighet gentemot socialdemokratin som kommer att göra en valseger 2010 omöjlig.

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 05:13 GMT

Julafton för allt kommunistiskt

Kommunistdiktaturerna kastade ut liberalerna ur FN. Nu blir det champagne på Vänsterpartiets kansli.

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 04:22 GMT

Libertarianism and Conservatism

The "reader" is right; Sullivan is confusing things by defending his terminology with Edmund Burke and Michael Oakeshott's intention. Libertarianism is distinct from contemporary conservatism just as social democracy is from communism.

Saturday, 19 May 2007, 01:36 GMT

Islamism for Kids

Cox & Forkum comments on Palestinian terror organization Hamas's use of a Mickey Mouse look-alike in their propaganda. Film clips of the fascist mouse can be seen on YouTube here and here.

Friday, 18 May 2007, 16:13 GMT

Heteropolitans

British writer Mark Simpson's hilarious take on the not-so-hidden gayness of Men's Health magazine is worth reading. From the column on the Guardian's website:

The prissy pretence that that any suggestion of gayness is utterly inconceivable between their pristine pages can lead to hilarious results: such as the recent MH sex guide which encouraged readers to get in touch with the hidden pleasures of their prostate gland by "getting your girlfriend to massage it for you with her finger". Or maybe your boyfriend could do it with his penis? (In fact, it's MH and consumerism in general that is really "massaging your prostate", no vaseline.)

By the way, why not advice the readers to buy a dildo and some water-based lubricant? Shouldn't real men be able to please their own prostate gland?

Friday, 18 May 2007, 02:36 GMT

Svar till Per Ericson

Per skriver på sin blogg:

Mona Sahlin fick chansen att delta i en manifestation mot homofobi. Hon utnyttjade möjligheten till att lägga beslag på ordet och använda det för sina egna partipolitiska syften. Mona Sahlin talade om hotet från dem som motsätter sig att staten ska omdefiniera äktenskapsbegreppet lagstiftningsvägen.

Måste man vara homofob om man inte ansluter sig till Sahlins förslag till ingrepp i civilsamhället?

Svar: Nej, Per, det behöver man inte. Men om man medvetet använder staten och lagstiftningsmakten för att specifikt exkludera homosexuella från civilsamhället är man snubblande nära. Låt civilsamhället vara just det.

Thursday, 17 May 2007, 18:11 GMT

Numbers That Matters

These artworks by photographer Chris Jordan are just breathtaking.

Thursday, 17 May 2007, 17:54 GMT

Post-Blair Britain

As Tony Blair is leaving his premiership presently, the media attention turns to his successor Gordon Brown and the opposition leader David Cameron. The weekly newspaper The Economist presents an interesting poll in the latest issue (see chart). It shows that Mr Brown is outperforming Mr Cameron on general competence and the ability to handle a crisis. "On the other hand," The Economist writes," Mr Brown draws many more negative responses on every issue than does Mr Cameron, about whom people are still reserving judgment. Compared with Mr Blair's ratings before he came to power in 1997, both men are doing badly. It is hard to know which of these five measures is the best predictor of where a pencil hesitating over a ballot paper would fall, but neither Mr Brown nor Mr Cameron can claim to have won the trust of the electorate."

Thursday, 17 May 2007, 16:59 GMT

Guide to Successful Terrorism

How to be a successful terrorist when media is bias in your favour:

Step 1: Attack an innocent people stigmatized and demonized by history and political correctness.
Step 2: Await your victims' response and broadcast it as if the retaliation was unasked for.
Step 3: Use your victims' action of self-defence to legitimize further terrorist attacks.

There you have it. If you are a terrorist fighting Jews or Americans in the name of Islam, Palestine, or global communism you can expect most of European media to cover your actions favourably.

Thursday, 17 May 2007, 01:50 GMT

Sublime Anti-Semitism

The latest Palestinian attack on Israeli civilians continues. The leftist media in Sweden and Europe does its best to ignore it. When Israel responds to the terrorist attacks, I am sure the newspapers and radio programmes will cover the events in full. By doing so, public opinion in Europe can be manipulated in favour of Arab terrorism and against Israeli demand for security. That is how sublime, socialist anti-Semitism works these days.

Wednesday, 16 May 2007, 02:51 GMT

Racist Regardless

The public authorities in Sweden avoid helping abused children in immigrant families because they fear being labelled as racists. When journalist Evin Rubar makes a television programme about this, the first thing that happens is that she is being accused of racism.

What should a politically correct Swede do?

Wednesday, 16 May 2007, 02:05 GMT

In the Media: The Death of Falwell

This is what some of the major American newspapers write about the passing of Jerry Falwell:

• Washington Times gives Reagan's view on Falwell:

  "He was a wonderful human being," said Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan.

  Mr. Reagan told NBC News as the network initially announced Mr. Falwell's death that the Baptist preacher and his father had "a moral partnership."

• John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, tells New York Times that homophobia and the opposition to women's rights were at the very core of Falwell's religious work:

  "Behind the idea of the Moral Majority was this notion that there could be a coalition of these different religious groups that all agree on abortion and homosexuality and other issues even if they never agreed on how to read the Bible or the nature of God."

• In the Los Angeles Times, Matt Foreman, executive director of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, extendes condolences to those close to Falwell, but adds:

  "Unfortunately, we will always remember him as a founder and leader of America's anti-gay industry, someone who exacerbated the nation's appalling response to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, someone who demonized and vilified us for political gain and someone who used religion to divide rather than unite our nation."

(Photo: Jerry Falwell gestures while talking with Ronald Reagan after a candle lighting ceremony in support of prayer in schools held on 25 September 1982. By Charles Tasnadi.)

Tuesday, 15 May 2007, 18:28 GMT

Jerry Falwell 1933–2007

Jerry Falwell died earlier today. From Breitbart.com:

Falwell was hospitalized in "gravely serious" condition after being found unconscious Tuesday in his office at Liberty University, a school executive said earlier.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell, 73, was found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse, but he said Falwell "has a history of heart challenges."

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Falwell, a television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority, became the face of the religious right in the 1980s. He later founded the conservative Liberty University and serves as its president.

Falwell will probably be best remembered for his outspoken hatred of gay people and imaginative homophobia—like his National Liberty Journal article suggesting that the Teletubbies character Tinky Winky could be a hidden gay symbol because the character was purple. However, Falwell's hatred went far beyond homosexuals. He was a fierce critic of women's rights and a supporter of the apartheid regime in South Africa.

May God have mercy on his soul.

Monday, 14 May 2007, 21:00 GMT

On Drugs

Swedish blogger Joel Malmqvist writes in favour of decriminalization of drug taking. He is the second Social Democrat who has dared to take on this taboo in Swedish politics. The first one being Erik Laakso. I begin to sense a shift in the attitude towards drug addicts. The prohibitionists are still in majority, and most politicians avoid raising the liberal argument against current legislation, but things are slowly turning away from the zero-tolerance policy.

Monday, 14 May 2007, 14:24 GMT

Zimbabwean Dictatorship to Head UN Body

From Reuters:

Zimbabwe, widely criticized for mismanaging its economy, was narrowly elected head of the main U.N. inter-governmental body on the environment despite opposition led by European Union nations.

This makes me sick to the stomach. When Parade Magazine ranked the world's worst dictators, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe came out at number seven:

Robert Mugabe once was hailed as a symbol of the new Africa, but under his rule the health and well-being of his people have dropped dramatically, which is as much an abuse of human rights as arbitrary arrest and torture. According to the World Health Organization, Zimbabwe has the world's shortest life expectancy—37 years for men and 34 for women. It also has the greatest percentage of orphans (about 25%, says UNICEF) and the worst annual inflation rate (1,281% as of last month). He last allowed an election in 2002 but "won" only after having his leading opponent arrested for treason.

I find it difficult not to think of the United Nations as a club for dictators.

Sunday, 13 May 2007, 22:43 GMT

Communism Equals Terror

Many young Swedes lack knowledge about communism and the crimes against humanity this ideology has caused wherever it's been implemented. I recommend every Swede to read what blogger Attila Toth writes about Marxism and then get their hands on Stéphane Courtois's Black Book of Communism. Only a fool can think communism is any better than Nazism or fascism.

Sunday, 13 May 2007, 18:16 GMT

Weekend Fun

Barats and Bereta are my long-time favourites on YouTube. Although their sense of humour is silly and ridicules, I can't help myself. I love their pranks. The video clips are well done and really funny.

If you ever had to deal with an insurance company about the extra premium you have to pay because you are male and therefore considered a bad driver, then you appreciate this:

And if you—like me—have spent far too much time trapped in an office cubicle, then you understand the cause of war between bored employees. Young men with too much time to spend are not made to sit quietly in tiny cubicles:

If the YouTube-clips aren't showing or working properly, you should be able to find them here and here.

Saturday, 12 May 2007, 15:25 GMT

Cuban Censorship

The Cuban dictatorship is accusing the United States of censorships after the Treasury Department began to probe into Michael Moore's recent visit to Cuba. It might therefore be worth reminding everybody of Cuba's imprisoned journalists. Seen in the picture above are the faces of some of the known victims of Cuban censorship. Unlike Moore—whose only punishment for violating the embargo has been a letter from the Office of Foreign Assets Control—the imprisoned Cuban journalists are deprived all freedom and civil liberties.

Saturday, 12 May 2007, 14:22 GMT

"Either Way You Are Doomed"

A classic Simpson episode. Homer has just been abducted by aliens and returns home to warn everybody of extraterrestrials posing as Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in the forthcoming presidential election.

If the YouTube-clip isn't showing or working properly, you should be able to find it here.

Friday, 11 May 2007, 23:36 GMT

Family Day in Rome

From 365gay.com:

Tens of thousands of people plan to rally Saturday to protest a bill that would give legal rights to unmarried same- and opposite-sex couples, fueling a debate that has split Italy amid calls by Pope Benedict XVI to defend the traditional family.

The legislation, which awaits parliamentary approval, has underscored long-standing tensions in this largely Roman Catholic country between a desire to hold on to church-sanctioned traditions and a push toward greater secularization.

Organizers of Saturday's "Family Day" include lay Catholic groups and family associations. While the demonstration has been endorsed by Italian bishops, neither the Vatican nor the Italian bishops' conference is formally behind it.

"Family belongs to believers and nonbelievers alike," said Gaetano Quagliariello, a center-right senator who helped organize the rally at Rome's St. John Lateran piazza. "Family has to do with culture and civilization."

I'm so very tired of this stupidity. What people like Mr Quagliariello and his conservative friends in Forza Italia and the church refuse to understand is that gay rights in no way threatens family. The fact of the matter is that most of the reforms sought for by gays and lesbians will strengthen families if realized. The debate about marriage turned silly when conservative Christians began to label it anti-family when it clearly is the exact opposite. Gay people want to be able to form stable relationships and families with the same legal protection as any other. How can that possible be anything but family friendly?

The organizers of tomorrow's protest against equal rights have chosen the motto "The family constructs the future of all" (La famiglia costruisce il futuro di tutti), which ironically is precisely the belief that motivates many gay-rights activists to fight so fiercely for marriage reform.

Friday, 11 May 2007, 19:24 GMT

Fredagsnöje med omyndig

Den anonyme bloggaren Redundans skriver idag om det "obetvingliga ljuset och glädjen i att vara kommunist". Jag kände mig manad att kommentera och skrev därför följande:

Ett bra sätt att klappa sig för bröstet som kommunist är ju att aldrig, aldrig, aldrig någonsin svara på den liberala kritiken. Det är tramsigt, men samtidigt förstår jag varför kommunister hellre snackar om annat. Jag var likadan när jag var ung och nyfrälst marxist. Allt skulle bli bra bara allt ägdes av alla. Men när jag tog mig tid att verkligen förstå kritiken fann jag att det inte finns några rumsrena svar. Oavsett intentioner är kommunismen omöjlig utan våld.

På detta följde ett meddelande från Redundans via epost:

Min blogg är en en blogg för personer som delar kritiken av den politiska ekonomin. Det är alltså inte ett forum för genier i borgerlig dumhet. Därför kommer heller inte din kommentar att publiceras på bloggen. Jag hoppas att du trots ditt retarderade utrycksätt ämnar ha förstånd nog att förstå detta agerande ifrån min sida.

På detta svarade jag:

Din ovilja att ens diskutera med människor som ifrågasätter dig bevisar att jag hade rätt. Du och dina kamrater inom den vänsterfascistiska rörelsen lever av att inte tillåta er att någonsin besvara kritik. Så fungerar alla sekter. Tur för dig att du lever i ett demokratiskt samhälle där detta är tillåtet. Bloggare i kommunistiska länder kan inte unna sig den lyxen.

Efter två minuter kom detta:

Jag har tyvärr inte tid att svara just nu eftersom jag sitter och super och fixar ett dj-set inför imorgon afton. Att du sitter vid mailen och surar så här dags på en fredag bevisar min tes om att du är en liberal.

Jag finner att min tes om att kommunismen är en lära för omyndiga, okritiska och antiintellektuella är styrkt.

Friday, 11 May 2007, 13:12 GMT

Push-Up Briefs

I hate shopping, so to save time I do as much of it as possible online. Today I set out to buy some new underwear and began to search the Internet for some nice briefs. Unlike shopping for clothes in high-street outlets, buying undergarments online is truly a pleasure for a gay man. Many of the models posing dressed in the underwear on sale are eye candy. They are not only handsome; they all seem to be very well endowed. Until today, I thought the trick was to put a sock in the groin, but now I have learned the trick is push-up briefs. When I placed my order for some new briefs, I was asked if I wanted the regular or the push-up model. The push-up briefs are equipped with an elastic sling that lifts the penis and scrotum and brings it forward. This makes the man's "package" look bigger. The future will see many disappointed size queens.

Thursday, 10 May 2007, 14:58 GMT

Kommunism och allemansrätt

Efter gårdagens rapportering om svenska ungdomars obefintliga kunskaper om kommunism har idag den anonyme bloggaren Red Metal förklarat varför han är kommunist:

"Kommunismen handlar om att fritt få gå i naturen (allemansrätten är något av det mest kommunistiska vi har i Sverige) eller att kunna tillgodogöra sig kunskap via böcker och Internet utan att ha mycket pengar."

Nej, kommunism handlar om att allt och alla ska ägas kollektivt så att de med störst möjligheter att styra kan göra vad de vill på andras bekostnad. Genom att beröva människan dess självägande kan kommunistledarna likt de gamla feodalherrarna försätta människor i beroendeställning gentemot överheten. Det är monopolets praktik. Helt kort kan man sammanfatta kommunismen som idén att parasiter har rätt att leva på kreativa människors arbete. Allemansrätten erkänner privat egendom och har inte ett dugg att göra med kommunism.

Thursday, 10 May 2007, 11:33 GMT

Tony Blair Resigns

British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced today that he is stepping down as leader of the Labour party and will resign from his office in June.

Wednesday, 9 May 2007, 18:28 GMT

My Submitted Motions

Today I have submitted two motions to the Moderate Party's congress, which will be held this autumn. If you are able to read Swedish, you can download them here. The first motion deals with the treatment of drug addicts while the second one deals with radio frequencies.

Wednesday, 9 May 2007, 18:26 GMT

In the Media

Two things I picked up from the Swedish news flow earlier today:

• The brave and liberal MP Fredrick Federley admits that he has taken illegal drugs—and refuses to apologize. I have said it before: Federley makes me happy.
• More frightening is Swedish youth's lack of knowledge about communism. The Socialist Left have really been successful in their effort to hide communist crimes against humanity, which might explain why so many still votes for a party based on fascist ideals. From an article in The Local:

  Of the 1004 young Swedes involved in the nationwide poll, 43 percent believed that communist regimes had claimed less than one million lives. A fifth of those surveyed put the death toll at under ten thousand. The actual figure is estimated at around 100 million.

Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 11:51 GMT

In the Media: Middle East

Today's browsing through Israeli media reveals more of the same depressing gloom we all have grown accustomed to:

• The leftist human-rights organization B'Tselem has published a report about bad treatment of imprisoned Palestinians.
• United Nations reports that illegal arms reach Lebanon frequently. Despite international efforts to secure Israel, Hizbullah fighters are able to arm themselves.
• Hamas's armed wing, Izzadin a-Kassam, has threatened to execute kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit (picture) if the army enters Gaza.

Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 08:44 GMT

I as a God

If I were a god, what would I be like? Thanks to an online test, I now know. I'm Buddha.

Monday, 7 May 2007, 21:29 GMT

Not the Last Days of Europe

From The Economist's review of Walter Laqueur's The Last Days of Europe: Epitaph for an Old Continent:

In Europe's own history Islam has often been a more tolerant, civilising force than, say, the Roman Catholic church. Today's Turkey offers a current example: devout Muslims with a passion for secular democracy. In truth, European cities such as London and Berlin have acquired a new zip thanks to immigrants from around the world, including those from Muslim countries.

I agree, people who fight Muslim intolerance and turn a blind eye to—or act apologetic towards—Christian intolerance are hypocrites. Most atrocities in Europe's history are clearly linked to Christianity. Muslim immigration is not the problem, Islamist and fundamentalist beliefs is. Europe is heading towards a war of ideas, not a war of people.

Monday, 7 May 2007, 12:16 GMT

Can Fewer Pirates Explain Global Warming?

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster presents some groundbreaking new facts that might help to explain the global warming:

You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see [in the graph above], there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.

It's so scientific I just have to believe it's true. After his latest adding to the Inconvenient Truth, I'm pretty sure Al Gore will second that.

Sunday, 6 May 2007, 18:01 GMT

Le président

Nicolas Sarkozy will be France's next president. He won the final round of the election today with 53% of the votes. The French chose the better of the two candidates. Now we can expect riots and burned cars in Paris as the Socialist Left takes it revenge on democracy.

Sunday, 6 May 2007, 09:38 GMT

Fair and Balanced

Swedish mainstream media reports on the final round of the French presidential election, which is held today. The illustration from Expressen's special coverage says it all. Guess who's the socialist candidate.

Sunday, 6 May 2007, 04:19 GMT

Mister Slander

Swedish blogger Roger Jönsson is a slanderous fool. A boiled egg has more sense. Here's proof.

Jönsson's latest victim, Per Hagwall, has noticed it too.

Saturday, 5 May 2007, 12:12 GMT

Malmö Castle

I spent this morning at Malmö University College, preparing a lecture I will give on Monday evening. On the other side of the window I sat at, the sun shone and the birds sung. During a break from work, I snapped this picture of Malmö Castle and the surrounding park, which is located next to the university building. The castle was founded in 1434 by King Eric of Pomerania, but was demolished in the early sixteenth century. A new castle was built in its place in the 1530s by King Christian III of Denmark. Historically, the castle was one of the most important strongholds of Denmark. Nowadays, it is a museum.

Saturday, 5 May 2007, 03:54 GMT

Facklig hets ger färre jobb

"Jag offrade min verksamhet för att fackets handlande var så odemokratiskt och så fel och så länge facket helt ohämmat får lov att gå till väga hur som helst mot oss småföretagare för att få till stånd kollektivavtal, så följs inte våra mänskliga rättigheter."

– Sofia Appelgren, som lärt sig läxan och nu tänker bli egenföretagare utan anställda. Tacka LO för det.

Friday, 4 May 2007, 17:34 GMT

A Message to Neo

I don't know if any of the editors at the magazine Neo read my blog, but if you do, I want to say that I love Tryffeln. The piece about Mona Sahlin's troubles with the colour red is hilarious. (Now I know why the Left Party's May Day speakers looked like down-low drug users—it's the blood-red banners in the background.) If you ever find yourselves in financial problems, just print the truffle page and it will be worth the subscription fee.

Friday, 4 May 2007, 14:41 GMT

Weekend Fun

The historic Homer is something of an enigma. No one knows for sure if he even existed. Many have suggested that Homer is in fact several people, others say that the stories—the Iliad and the Odyssey—associated with him has developed over many years and that no single author could be linked to them. Homer has nonetheless been portrayed by artists since at least the second century BC, but none of them can claim to know what he looked like. But today I found a painting made by an artist I think might be on to the true Homer.

Friday, 4 May 2007, 06:47 GMT

An Open Letter to the Islamists

The famous letter to Dr Laura has now been followed by a letter to imams and Islamists about some of the many strange things one finds in the Koran. The new letter, which is written in Swedish, is authored by blogger Ulf Pettersson.

Friday, 4 May 2007, 03:55 GMT

Hate Is All Around Us

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted in favour of new hate-crime legislation named the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act". I don't think the vote will matter since President Bush has said he will veto the act.

I am torn when it comes to this type of legislation. Hate crimes are awful, but so is violence and abuse for whatever reason it occurs. And there is a problem with laws designed to give extra protection for certain groups of people. What it does is that it signals a belief that some people's security is more important than others' are. Furthermore, it gives hateful people an opportunity to play the underdog card in public debates. Racists and homophobes use hate-crime legislation as evidence of how ordinary people are worse off by social equality. One the other hand though, if we are to have hate-crime legislation, it should apply to all groups targeted by organized hate and violence. It's still quite common that gays are exclude when countries legislate against hate crimes, so I share Andrew Sullivan's point of view when he writes:

But the one truly incoherent position is that hate crimes laws are fine for all targeted groups except gays. Gays are among the most common victims of hate crimes, and straight people are also targeted for being gay even when they're not. If you're going to buy the whole concept of hate crimes, it makes no sense to exclude gays—none. Notice we need no discussion of the morality or otherwise of homosexuality. All that is being punished is the perception of someone else's identity. A straight, evangelical married man could have recourse if he was bashed because someone merely perceived him to be gay. A celibate gay man in reparative therapy could have recourse as well. So no serious moral argument can be made to distinguish the gay victims of hate crimes from other victims.

Sullivan's blog entry reminds me of what happened in Amsterdam—one of the world's gay-friendliest places—two years ago when Chris Crain, editor of Washington Blade, was assaulted by Islamist youth. He wrote about the ordeal on his blog:

I was walking through central Amsterdam with my boyfriend back to our hotel. People were still milling about on the sidewalks from Friday night's revelry. We were only blocks from the most popular gay areas; and we were holding hands.

As we passed two men standing on the side of the street, one of them deliberately spat on us, mainly hitting me in the face. Without saying a word, we stood our ground. We stopped, turned around, and asked why. The man, who looked in his 20s, had Moroccan features and spoke with a heavy accent, murmured something about "fucking fags."

Within seconds, the two somehow turned into seven—and five of them were ganging up on me, probably because at 6-foot-7 I'm a good bit bigger than my boyfriend. It seemed like every direction I turned, I got another punch to the face, and when they kicked me to the ground, time seemed to stop.

This is the ugly truth of hate crime. People are being kicked and beaten for no other reason than for who they are.

An interesting thing about the assault of Crain is the conflict between interests. In Sweden and most of Europe, people are quite friendly towards gays—but only as long as no other minority group have to give up any "rights". The Christians look the other way when Islamists abuse gays because they themselves hold homophobic beliefs, and the Socialist Left do the same because they favour anti-capitalist, anti-American, anti-liberal Islamists over anyone else. (This explains the talk of Islamophobia whenever anyone dares to criticize Muslims.) Now, I whished I could say that the liberals and libertarians speak up, but unfortunately, most of us are too busy fighting hate-crime legislation to even notice what happens in the streets.

One thing is for sure, the lethal hate is all around us, and we must deal with it somehow. I am not only referring to gays here, but everyone that might be seen as part of a group labelled unwanted or sinful by another. A number of religions and political ideologies thrive on hate and collectivism. Racism, homophobia, class war, and sexism have that in common. We must do something about it, but I am not sure hate-crime legislation is the right way to go.

(Photo of Chris Crain three days after the assult. By William Waybourn.)

Thursday, 3 May 2007, 06:31 GMT

In the Media

This caught my interest when I browsed through the online news sources this morning:

• "Sacked embassy man runs for Sweden Democrat job" writes The Local. According to the article, the fired Kent Ekeroth participated in an online discussion where he wrote that he thought Europe is on the brink of collapse due to "completely irresponsible immigration policies, naivety and left-wing influences combined with a fascination for Islamism and contempt for our own cultural inheritance." I don't care much for the Sweden Democrats and their xenophobia, but on one account I give them right: Europe's apologetic attitude towards Islamism is a serious problem.
• The party secretaries of the four parties in Sweden's centre-right government write a joint article in today's Dagens Nyheter. They want to put an end to speculations about a merger between the parties. Instead, the four stress that the parties will remain independent and equal partners within the Alliance for Sweden. Personally, I'm not surprised even though I would have preferred an even tighter union. For far too long, Swedish political culture has been all about the big, almighty Social Democrats with four much smaller parties barking like small dog to get attention. One big, united liberal-conservative party could challenge that culture. But I suppose the Alliance will do for now. So far, it has proven to work very well.

Thursday, 3 May 2007, 02:59 GMT

Rebel of Love

Gene Robinson is not only the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, he might soon become the first one to marry under New Hampshire's soon-to-be-signed civil unions law.

Wednesday, 2 May 2007, 15:41 GMT

Queer Flowers

From an article in the Science Daily:

What would be the opening chapter of the Kamasutra of plant sex? A good pick would be a description of the numerous ways in which plants arrange their sexual organs: from both sexes in the same flower to sexes separated in different flowers or individuals. One widespread sexual strategy that remains an evolutionary enigma is the production of both male and bisexual flowers in the same plant, which occurs in approximately 4000 species.

God works in mysterious ways.

Wednesday, 2 May 2007, 04:14 GMT

Comrades

Yesterday was May Day, which is a public holiday in Sweden. On this day, many of the most powerful Swedes pretend to be poor victims and demonstrate against the society they themselves have created. In a country run exclusively by socialists and communists for most of the past century, May Day makes large segments of the Swedish political elite act as if they suffered from dissociative identity disorder. It doesn't bother me much; but I do find it a bit annoying when people who makes four times as much money as I do address me as if I was some rich brat. Keep your stuck-up Marxism and prejudiced ideas to yourself, thank you!

One thing I always admired about the Socialist Left is their skilful propaganda. People fighting for liberty has never managed to produce the grand paintings and the catching terminology that collectivist and totalitarian movements have. Just look at the painting above. This chic fascism from the era when the rulers of China and the Soviet Union wanted to establish as special comradeship is propaganda at its best.

I have always liked the idea of comradeship. It signals people working together for a common good; which, by the way, has absolutely nothing to do with communist command economy and big-government politics. In fact, it is the opposite. In my anarchist youth, it was the idea of free, comradely individuals working together that led me to believe that I was a socialist.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the primary definition of the word comrade reads: "A person who shares one's interests or activities; a friend or companion." In the same entry, the word's history is explained:

A comrade can be socially or politically close, a closeness that is found at the etymological heart of the word comrade. In Spanish the Latin word camara, with its Late Latin meaning "chamber, room," was retained, and the derivative camarada, with the sense "roommates, especially barrack mates," was formed. Camarada then came to have the general sense "companion." English borrowed the word from Spanish and French, English comrade being first recorded in the 16th century. The political sense of comrade, now associated with Communism, had its origin in the late-19th-century use of the word as a title by socialists and communists in order to avoid such forms of address as mister. This usage, which originated during the French Revolution, is first recorded in English in 1884.

I'm now reclaiming the word for my sidebar menu. Friends and allies who link back to this journal or whose websites I'm extra fond of I consider my online comrades. I be damned if I let the commies have such a good word for themselves.

Update (4 June): I have changed my mind. "Comrades" gives the wrong associations, so I rename the link section in the sidebar to "Friends".